Biological testing has become an important tool in detecting and monitoring diseases. In the biological testing field, thermal cycling is used to amplify nucleic acids by, for example, performing PCR and other reactions. PCR in particular has become a valuable research tool with applications such as cloning, analysis of genetic expression, DNA sequencing, and drug discovery.
Recent developments in the field have spurred growth in the number of tests that are performed. One method for increasing the information obtainable through such biological testing is to provide real-time detection capability during thermal cycling. During real-time detection the characteristics of samples of biological materials can be detected while the sample well tray remains positioned in the thermal cycling device. A method for increasing throughput is to place a large number of samples on a single microcard. In this manner, more tests may be performed in a given period of time. Moreover, it is possible to reduce costs by running at low reaction volumes of biological materials. It may also be desirable for there to be substantial temperature uniformity between the plurality of samples on a single microcard.